Skylanders: Spiritual Siblings
by DareDreamer
Summary: Leo and Madelyn have brought the Trap Team to Skylands after discovering their uncle's research of the realm. A few years after their findings, they are called to Skylands to become Master Eon's apprentices and join the war that is raging across Skylands. But beyond the frontlines, a diabolical plan is set into motion by Kaos… one that will test the siblings' love for each other...
1. The Discovery

The room upstairs was empty. Seeing my chance to investigate, I snuck inside, eager to find out what was being held here. _What would be of such importance that it had to be hidden?_ I thought, taking a few steps deeper inside.

"Leo!" a familiar voice whispered from behind me. "We're not allowed in here. Uncle Peter said!"

"Come on, Madelyn." I smirked, taking my hands off some sort of spherical object next to an elephant figure. "Stop being such a chicken." Where was her sense of adventure?

Slowly, my younger blonde-haired sister slipped into the room while I examined a chalkboard with weird notes on it. A large drawing of a crystal laid on one part, with molecular symbols, equations, a few planets and a floating chunk of rock everywhere else.

Even more strange were these symbols that I couldn't make out. I think most of them were letters, but eight of them seemed unique: a red flame, a dark-blue waterdrop, a brown mountain, a light-blue spiral, a purple star-like symbol, an orange gear, a green leaf and a gray skull. _What have you been doing, Uncle Peter?_

Turning away from the chalkboard, a tarp caught my eyes. There seemed to be something glowing under there. I grabbed one edge of the tarp and yanked it off, amazed at what I saw beneath it.

"Whoa…check this out…" I whispered. "What is it?" Madelyn asked, moving past the door. "I have no idea."

A cracked-looking circle with four bright green lines around it. Surely, that looked important. A small pentagonal slot, with some sort of prison cell bars just below it, was connected to the circle.

Around the portal rested some sort of toys. A blue crocodile with a crystal bow, a skeleton dog, a dinosaur with helicopter blades, a lion with a red crystal shield, a figure with a staff and hourglass and more. A majority of them had crystal weapons.

I picked up the crocodile and turned it in my hands. "Who are you?" I mumbled to the inanimate figure. At least, I _thought_ it was inanimate when I found it.

The circle suddenly began to glow. Its green lines changed colors to a bright blue. I turned to Madelyn, both of us seeming to realize something. She motioned to the circle, and I nodded back. Slowly, I placed the crocodile on the circle, causing the glow to get brighter.

A bright light shone from the circle, pointing directly ahead of us to form a swirling pattern of stars, almost like a miniature galaxy. Madelyn and I covered our eyes at the light, just as a loud hum came from the circle, and then….BWWWOOOOOOOMMMM!


	2. Elemental Coronation

3 years later

Skylands

Eon's Citadel

And that was I how discovered the magical realm of Skylands and the mighty warriors who protect it with their lives. The blue crocodile was named Snap Shot, the leader of an elite team of Skylanders called the Trap Team. Also, it turns out my Uncle Peter was researching Skylands, as he too had heard of the realm, but had no way to travel there.

The first time I experienced Skylands personally was when Madelyn and I were in our late teens, as we are currently. Master Eon, the man who took me and Madelyn as his Portal Master apprentices, announced a dire warning that Skylands was in danger once more, and that all of his apprentices were to be summoned.

It was beautiful, to say the least. And to think a little bald guy wanted this all to himself. Hence why this world had guardians like the Skylanders.

So here was the news. The evil Portal Master Kaos had escaped from his jar imprisonment and has initiated a plan that rested at the very back of his mind and the very bottom of his many plans: all-out war across Skylands. Terrible, right?

All of Master Eon's apprentices had been called to Skylands, including Madelyn and myself. As our basic training finished its final stages, we were summoned for something called an "Elemental Coronation". So we found ourselves here, in the citadel formerly known as the Ruins.

"So what do you think this coronation thing is?" Madelyn asked me. Both of us were wearing white clothing with blue runes, indicating our status as non-elemental Portal Masters. I just shrugged. "I can only guess. Maybe we're assigned an element to go by. Who knows? Maybe we'll be the same." My sister just chuckled. "I wouldn't bet on that."

The doors to the central chamber swung open, revealing a Sentinel Imaginator. It had a bird-like face, light-blue armor to indicate the Air element, and a double-edged spear. Sentinels were basically Citadel guards, from what I know of.

"Leo, Madelyn." The Imaginator announced, making both of us stand up. "Master Eon has requested your presence for the Coronation." We both nodded as he marched onward. When he was gone, the two of us strode up to the door.

Madelyn turned to me with a determined, yet unsure expression. "Ready?" she asked calmly. I nodded, placing a hand on her shoulder. "I felt like I was born ready."

As we entered the main chamber, we were met by other Portal Masters with various colored clothing. Those ones must have already been given an element. Small elemental crystals floated across the room, and ten colored banners dotted the walls. The center of the room had a large central platform.

Something began to materialize on the platform. The other Portal Masters dropped to a kneeling position. Seeing this, the two of us decided to do the same as an ethereal glow lit up the raised platform. As the glow dimmed, a familiar voice called out. _"Greetings, young Portal Masters."_

"Master Eon." Madelyn and I answered in unison, lifting our heads to view the elder Portal Master's spirit. The first destruction of the Core of Light may have destroyed his body, but his magic survived in his spirit form, where he would remain for all eternity.

 _"_ _Your training is now complete."_ Our master announced. _"Through me, you have learned how to command Skylanders in battle and how to master portal usage. Now, the time has come for you to harness one of the ten elements of Skylands. But first, there is but one oath you must follow."_

We stared at him intensely, waiting for his next words. _"Do you swear to defend Skylands until your final breaths?"_ he asked boldly.

"We swear." We answer simultaneously.

 _"_ _Do you swear to look after all that you care about, be it Portal Master or Skylander?"_

Madelyn and I glanced at each other, knowing what this question meant. We'd have to keep each other safe. "We swear."

 _"_ _And finally, do you swear to banish Skylands of all that threaten it? Of all that would consume it? Of all that would conquer it and all other worlds in the universe, including your own?"_

"We swear." We concluded. "As long as there are those who are willing to fight for Skylands, evil will never succeed."

 _"_ _Very well."_ Master Eon said. _"You may rise."_

Both of us rose to our feet as Master Eon closed his eyes and extended an arm out to me.

 _"_ _Leonardo."_ He spoke. _"I sense great hope in you. Great will. A desire for justice. A heart of courage and a soul of righteousness. Therefore, you will wield the power of…"_

A silence filled the room. I could feel my heart beating in anticipation.

A yellow crystal that was orbiting around the room along with the other crystals instantly stopped moving. As I turned my attention to it, the crystal slowly flew downward until it rested directly in front of me. I could feel something emanating from it. Like it was calling to me. Slowly, I reached out to the crystal and grabbed it just as Master Eon spoke.

 _"…_ _Light."_

The yellow crystal suddenly began to shake and glow, two whines coming from it: the same sounds a Portal of Power would make before it restored a Skylander to its living self. A bright blast shot out from the crystal, making my world go white.

When my vision returned, I noticed Madelyn had one arm over her eyes. She lifted slowly before opening her eyes…and her mouth falling open in a gasp. "Wow…"

That's when I noticed something different about me. Instead of my non-elemental robes, I was covered in shining white armor, with gold markings, gold shoulder pads and kneepads and a sun symbol on the chestplate. There was also something on my back.

Reaching behind me, I drew out a white sword with a gleaming blade, meaning I was a Knight. The Light elemental symbol, a yellow sun, rested on the hilt and three yellow crystals laid on the pommel and hilt guards.

And most of all, I was glowing with solar rays coming from my armor. Before I could look properly, the glow dimmed away, finishing the change.

Madelyn smiled at me like she was a princess being rescued by a knight. On the platform, Master Eon tapped his staff on the ground, catching Madelyn's attention. As she stood firm, the spirit closed his eyes again and reached out to my sister.

 _"_ _Madelyn…"_ he spoke again after a quiet minute. _"I sense a rebellious spirit within you. A talent where you can perform various tasks without a single soul acknowledging your presence. I sense…remnants of chaos in your mind. Fortunately, you are aware of how to control it on those you despise. Therefore you will be granted the power of…"_

This time, a purple crystal separated from the orbiting field of crystals, making its way down to Madelyn. Awestruck, she began to reach out to it… and touched it with one finger.

 _"…_ _Dark."_

The crystal began to glow, shake and whine. But instead of a burst of light, the crystal exploded like a smoke bomb, releasing tendrils of eerie black smoke that wrapped and coiled themselves around Madelyn's body, starting at her feet and working their way up.

When she was completely enveloped by the dark smoke, it remained in her place for about fifteen seconds before whooshing away in a single motion. Now it was my turn to be awestruck.

Madelyn was wearing a black-purple assassin's outfit with a mouthguard and hood. A purple crescent moon rested on her right shoulder. An ominous black bow rested on her back, with two knives on her thighs for melee weapons. She looked like a ninja (even though the bow meant she was a Bowslinger), able to sneak in through a base or behind enemy lines, carry out an objective and leave without anyone noticing her.

My sister opened her eyes and immediately noticed the change, admiring her new look. Unsheathing one knife, we both noticed purple liquid coating the blade. Poison, so that even if Madelyn nicked her target, the damage could be fatal.

 _"_ _Your elements have been chosen and the Coronation is complete."_ Master Eon announced from the platform. _"Now comes the final step. You must learn to harness your elemental power and use it wisely in the battles to come. But you do not need my guidance to help you now. You just need to focus your mind and concentrate on the power…and control will be yours."_ His time here at an end, Master Eon vanished from the platform as the other Portal Masters turned and strode to the exit door.


	3. Old Friends

"Uncle Peter wasn't kidding when he said this place was magical." I said to my sister as we both exited the citadel. "You can feel it just by looking at the islands." Madelyn smiled. "I agree. So…" She almost hesitated a little. "When do you think we'll be out there? Fighting, I mean."

She's nervous, I can tell. So it's mostly my job to look after her, since she is my younger sister. "Look, Maddie, when we do get out there, it probably won't be anything serious. Maybe just a Chompy infestation in a village or a Troll campsite near the Lost Islands. I've heard only well-trained Portal Masters get sent out to the war." I explained, trying to calm her down.

"Okay…that sounds reasonable." she sighed. "I mean, we don't the newbies thrown straight into the fray, right?" I'm just about to respond when a shadow passed over us at high speed. Madelyn and I braced ourselves as something looped in the sky and landed directly in front of us. A dragon. And not just any dragon.

"Spyro?!" I gasped, astounded at what's different about him. His horns are more curvier, gold markings are on his torso, wings and tail and his tail looked a bit more sharp. "Is that you, pal? You look…look…"

The dragon stands from his landing pose with a smile. "Let me guess, awesome? You were going to say awesome, right?" He smirked. "Cause you look pretty awesome yourselves."

"Um, thanks." Madelyn replied with a grin. "We just got out of our Coronation. What's up with you?"

"Call it a new level of power." Spyro boasted, spreading his wings with pride. "Along with other Skylanders, I've learned to Awaken my inner strength! This makes me feel like I can singe Baldy's cape!"

His nicknames for Kaos was just part of his personality, as I learned. Spyro could be a bit cocky, but courageous in battle. And that's what made him special. "Well, love to stay and chat and all, but I've got to get back to the Academy ASAP. Later!" And with that, the purple dragon shot into the sky.

Maddie and I were just about to head off to one of the nearby Portal Master bases when we heard something else. "How ya been, old chum?" I turned to see a blue crocodile leaning against a building wall with his arms crossed.

"Snap Shot!" I shouted upon seeing the Trap Master. "Been a while, crocodile!" He laughed as he walked up and fist-bumped me. "Should have seen that one coming. Anyway, just got out of the Coronation, huh? Looks snazzy."

"Yeah, it sure is." I answered. "You know, it only feels like yesterday that I found you and sent you back here. How's the team?"

"Seen better days, Leo." Snap Shot answered. "Still working on Wallop's temper a bit. Last week, he almost smashed Jet-Vac's Skystones deck after he lost a bet to Crusher!" He snorted at that. "You should have seen the bird's face!"

"This is touching and all, but shouldn't we get going?" Madelyn asked, gesturing away from the Citadel. "I'm anxious for our first assignment now that I've given it some thought."

"Right." I realized, knowing that we would enter the fray soon enough. "Take care, buddy!" I said to Snap Shot as Madelyn and I walked away. "Same to you! Tell some trolls that if they ever run into me, they'll learn that Traptanium arrows hurt more than regular arrows!"


	4. Troubling News

Turns out I was right. Since were rookies, we did nothing too serious. Basically, our only assignments were rooting out Chompy infestations or fending off a small Troll force in a village. Jobs for a Skylander, if you ask me.

Additionally, Maddie and I were sent to our respective Elemental Sanctuaries: buildings or structures strong with a single element. Skylanders and Portal Masters of the matching element come there to train, rest or harness their elemental power. I'm not kidding, you can literally _feel_ the power the moment you step in.

In an effort to prepare myself for the front lines, which I know I'm going to be on one day, I do a little bit of research in the Academy's library. I overview events like the charge of the First Light Squadron and the Ancients' Plan during the Darkness War, the Battle of Mount Cloudbreak, where the Swap Force was sent to Earth, the Arkeyan Empire that ended with the defeat of the Arkeyan King at the hands of the Giants, and most importantly, the Battle of the Core, involving Master Eon's original army of 48 Skylanders. That was a crucial moment in Skylands' history.

On another note, Skylanders Academy still remains on the move, just like it did when the Sky Eater became the greatest threat. If Kaos' forces find this place and blow it to rubble, it'll extinguish all hope and result in an easy victory for the little bald maniac. It was all our darkest fear… including mine.

Academy stuff aside, it's been a week since Madelyn and I had our Coronation. There's been news from fronts across Skylands, like enemy movement, reinforcements en route, allied positions pushing forward or falling back… Cali receives them all from her communications station on the Academy's main grounds.

But today, the reason I'm here is important. I've been summoned by Master Eon for what he explained was "of extreme importance". When I enter the main chamber, I see both him and the Sensei King Pen. And they don't look very happy.

 _"_ _Leo…"_ Master Eon starts sadly. _"I have both received some troubling news."_ "What news?" I ask, curious. "It was when I was meditating on one of the islands close to the academy." King Pen answers. "For each Portal Master, there is a feeling of hope resting in my mind. If a Portal Master dies, one of those feelings vanishes. But today… one feeling changed completely. It went from hopeful and willing… to malevolence and evil."

"That can't be good, right?" I ask, with Master Eon slowly nodding. If what King Pen said was true, something terrible is happening to Portal Masters. My best bet is that it's one of Kaos' new schemes to winning the war. "So why summon me?"

 _"_ _I believe that you and your sister are well-prepared enough for your first major assignment."_ Master Eon explains. _"As soon as we receive further word of these terrible experiments, both of you will be sent off to investigate."_

Before I can respond, the chamber door busts open, revealing a breathless Fire Knight Imaginator gasping for air, having ran all the way here.

"M…Master Eon!" he pants, wiping sweat from his forehead. "Enemy forces are advancing on Perilous Pastures! Squads are holding, but not for long! An evacuation of civilians is currently underway, but squads need more time to cover their escape!" He stops to take a breather. "Cali has requested a dire need for reinforcements!"

Master Eon ponders this for a moment, then turns to the Imaginator. _"Permission granted, soldier. Prepare reinforcements for deployment."_

"Thank you, Master Eon!" The Imaginator says as he rushes out of the building towards Cali's communications station. Master Eon then turns to me as King Pen exits through the main doors. _"Your first major assignment awaits you, young Portal Master. I trust you and your sister are ready?"_

"Of course, Master." I approve with a smile. _"Good. Inform Madelyn of the news and move out at once. You will aid the forces present and assist in the evacuation."_

I nod before rushing outside to find Madelyn. My first battle in the war was approaching fast, a moment I knew would come…


	5. Battle of Perilous Pastures

Smoke and fire filled the once clear blue skies. Airships filled with Mabu residents flew out of the area as fast as their engines would go… but many more were still loading up with passengers. The only thing standing between a legion of Doomlanders, Trolls, Spell Punks and wild Chompies were strike forces of Skylanders.

A Tech Quickshot opened fire on approaching Trolls with a single Tommy Gun before a series of laser blasts from Kaos Pistols forced him to take cover. "I can't hold them much longer!" he shouted before an incoming artillery shell obliterated himself and his position.

"They've broken through!" A Fire Sentinel screamed. "Brace! Brace!" An Air Quickshot wielding Tornado Blasters dashed from cover to cover, avoiding lasers and bullets while firing her own shots. Diving to a boulder, she turned to her comrades.

"WHERE ARE THOSE REINFORCEMENTS?!" She yelled over the sound of defensive turrets holding back the assault force. A bird with bladed feathers was desperately trying to tune into a comms channel, only to get no signal. "I don't know!" Stormblade responded. "I've lost contact with command!"

A Tech Bazooker operating a turret never let his robotic hands off the triggers. "There's too many of them!" He shouted over the roar of gunfire. "We've gotta hold the line!" As he continued peppering charging Doomlanders with bullets, a Fire Smasher rushed to the frontline to rally his allies.

"STAND FAST, SKYLANDERS!" he bellowed, raising his hammer high. "Those Mabu are counting on-AAAAARRRRGGGHHH!" A Bazooker's cannon shot nailed him in the shoulder, sending him tumbling to the ground. A Life Ninja rushed to his side to heal him. Lasers smacked the ground from above, making Quickshots scramble to cover and aim their weapons high, targeting Doomlander snipers perched on a house roof. "FINISH THEM!" another Smasher roared as the snipers started to fall.

Elsewhere on the battlefield, a red vehicle with tires ignited with blue fire screeched to a halt, with its driver leaping out and laying the smackdown on nearby enemies. Dodging a lunging Chompy and jumping over a Fire Spell Punk's blast, the driver threw a few punches at a Doomlander Brawler before throwing a troll with a minigun over his shoulder. Now in the clear, Spitfire raised his driving goggles as Snap Shot impaled a downed troll with his arrow, letting out a mighty yell.

"Took ya long enough." The Trap Master boasted. "We're losing ground out here! Where's the rest?"

"Already here." Spitfire answered, placing two fingers on his ear. "Trig, what's your position?" His response was maniacal laughter along with the Gold Rusher's main weapons firing wildly. Snap Shot sighed. "Does that guy ever know when to take things…"

Suddenly, a Doomlander Smasher lunged from burning debris and knocked the crocodile's weapon aside, locking him in a grapple. "SERIOUSLY?!" he finished, headbutting the Doomlander to break the grapple. When this did nothing, the Doomlander retaliated with a headbutt of its own, knocking the Trap Master back. Snarling, the croc threw a fist forward, engaging the Doomlander in a fistfight.

A vehicle with gold plating came into view, drifting from the left with its Currency Cannon still blasting. As it braked to a halt, Trigger Happy ejected with more insane laughter, slamming into a Doomlander Bowslinger that reacted too late to stop him. The two plummeted to the ground, with Trig rolling off and rushing to his buddies.

An Earth Sentinel swung his double-edged weapon at a large rock, sending it flying into a Doomlander Knight's head as it attempted to sneak-attack Spitfire and Snap Shot. As the Knight let out a yell and collapsed, Trigger Happy approached the two.

"Hiya, guys!" he announced cheerily. "Whatta I miss?"

"Not much." Snap Shot replied, just as more laser blasts zipped over his head, Snap Shot fired back with another arrow. "The rest of the reinforcements should be approaching any second now." Spitfire announced. Just as he finished, dropships flew into the area, releasing their passengers of Imaginators. They jumped to the ground with a battle cry and weapons ready. Among them were two figures, one in white armor and the other in black ninja-like robes.

"Portal Masters!" Snap Shot realized, punching the air. "Now, we have a fight!"

…

The dropship rocks from incoming fire, with the pilot keeping its course steady. Last checks were made as everyone braced themselves for landing. "Listen up!" someone shouted from the front of the ship. "Civilians are being evacuated from the area as we speak! We need to help the main force cover their retreat! Protect those ships at all costs! The enemy numbers are massive, so when the last airship escapes, you are to fall back from the town! AM I UNDERSTOOD?!"

"OORAH!" All Imaginators answer in unison, holding their weapons high. Beside me, I feel Madelyn tensing up.

"Hey." I whisper, pulling my sister close. "You feeling alright, Maddie?" She remains silent for a moment before answering. "To be honest, no. I mean, this is serious. We could _die_ here."

"We won't." I promise her. "Just stick close to me and everything will be fine. We'll get through this… together."

She nods calmly, my words influencing her. "O…okay."

Another shudder nearly makes us lose balance, meaning we're getting closer to the landing zone. "Ready yourselves!" the voice from earlier shouts, making all Imaginators stand and face the door as the dropship comes to a halt. When it's landing and deploying its troops, the craft is vulnerable. We must move fast.

The pilot flips some switches. "Opening doors in 5…4…3…2…1…" The doors swing open and everyone leaps out screaming. "GO! GO! GO!" The squad leader shouts as he ushers everyone out, including me and Madelyn. When we hit the ground, we draw our weapons and advance as the transports lifts off, its engines roaring.

"Keep a tight formation and head to cover!" the squad leader commands as enemy fire downs two Knights and a Swashbuckler. Quickshots return fire as Madelyn lets loose arrow after arrow. Imaginators take defensive positions while I slash through Doomlander Knights, Sentinels and a few Smashers that dare challenge me. Thanks to my armor, bullets and lasers ricochet harmlessly, and Madelyn shoots down any foe that advances on me while I'm engaged in combat.

After I strike down a Smasher, another transport rising from the ground catches my eye. Unfortunately for it, artillery shells slam into its engine and hull, bringing the ship down to the ground in a cloud of dust and fire.

I quickly snap back to the fight, not wanting to be distracted. Remembering my elemental training, I close my eyes and focus. I clear my mind from all negative thoughts and emotions…

…and my blade glows with solar energy. Opening my eyes, I swing the sword in a horizontal arc, sending a wave of light towards some troll warriors with maces, axes and shields. The wave sends them flying and I smile, knowing that the training had paid off.

"Leo!" Madelyn calls. I turn in her direction to see her pointing to the sky. Running to cover in a ditch where other Imaginators are dug in, I glance skyward. My expression turns to astonishment when I see more airships with Mabu citizens flying out of the area.

And there's even more good news. A Tech Sentinel listens to something on an earpiece and turns to us with delight. "Those are the last ships! The evacuation is complete!" All Imaginators who hear this whoop in relief. We may not have won, but we did what we came here to do.

"Objective complete!" The squad leader, who I now see is a Fire Bazooker with dragon armor, congratulates us. "All right, everyone, follow me! We are to fall back outside the village and meet up with…"

Before he can finish, purple lightning blasts through the air, making everyone cover their heads. When I trace the lightning's target… it's too late.

The lightning strikes one of the evacuation ships in the engines and explosions ring out across the ship. Instantly, many of the innocent Mabu aboard are killed. As Madelyn cries out in horror and covers her mouth, another lightning blast shoots across the air, instantly blowing a smaller ship to smithereens. The first ship begins to slowly plummet to the ground and various chunks of it drop down faster.

"GET DOWN! INCOMING!" The squad leader shouts and scrambles for safety. A Light Knight tackles a Fire Bowslinger out of the way and some debris smashes into the ground where he once stood. A Magic Sorcerer summons a forcefield to protect itself from the debris, but it is crushed by one of the engines. A Dark Smasher also falls victim to the debris, while a Magic Smasher uses its elemental power to telepathically hold up more debris as other Imaginators scramble to safety. "Go! Go!" he shouts. "I don't know how much longer I can hold…" A larger piece of debris slams down on him, along with the pieces he was holding up.

About four more ships are brought down by the lightning, but most of them escape. But so many innocents… have become casualties of war.

"LOOK OUT!" Madelyn screams as another piece of airship crashes down to our left. The dust that is kicked up temporarily blinds us both and knocks us down.


	6. Stolen Warrior

"Ugh…M…Maddie?" I groan hoarsely as I come to. My vision is blurry for a moment and my ears are ringing. As everything starts to come into focus…

"Leo!" my sister gasps and hugs me tightly. "Oh, thank God! I… I thought…"

"I'm fine, sis." I say as I start to get to my feet. Suddenly, she stops me. "Wait! Shh!" I am utterly confused. "What is it?" Before she can answer, a voice calls out.

"Search the area! If any of those Skylosers survived that, take them out!" a gruff voice barks. "Yes sir!" another one answers. A third voice speaks up. "Commander, what about the ships? Should we give chase?"

 **"** **There is no need, soldier."** A new, ominous voice speaks. **"Let them run. That attack was only meant to provoke fear in their hearts."** I turn to Maddie, who looks somewhat horrified. To be honest, I am too. "Stay close." I whisper as we both stand and move silently.

As soon as we're behind fallen debris and completely out of sight, we peek out to see the matter. Doomlanders are scouring the wreckage for any survivors. One of them is interrogating an Imaginator. I squint to get a better look… and my eyes widen.

"We know there were Portal Masters around here!" the Doomlander growls. "Where are they?!" Our squad leader remains calm. "For all you know, they could have perished in the crash… along with those innocent Mabu." The Doomlander punches him in the jaw as another aims a rifle (styled like the Kaos Pistol) at him. "We WILL find them!" his interrogator promises. "And by the way, according to Lord Kaos, NO ONE is innocent in war!"

The second Doomlander with the rifle fires, the purple laser bolt hitting our squad leader in the chest. As he slumps to the ground, Maddie and I move on. From another piece of debris, we notice a strange hooded figure in black robes styled with red runes.

 **"** **Continue searching for survivors."** The figure orders. **"Leave the Portal Masters to me."** As he says this, some trolls are trying to lift a piece of metal that had nearly crushed one of their comrades. They are failing miserably, with a section of the piece hitting a troll's foot when the others release it in exhaustion.

Maddie and I creep through the debris field, trying our best not to be noticed. A lone Chompy comes across us, but before it can sink its teeth into us, Maddie kicks it away. "I hate those things." She whispers.

"We need to get out of here." I tell her. "How are we going to do that?" she hisses back. "We need a distraction or something."

As if on cue, the sound of engines cut through the air, alerting both us and the enemy forces. "What was that?" A Doomlander asks. Another soldier peers into the distance and we follow his gaze. Nearby, in the grassy hills untouched by the battle, we see three vehicles: The Hot Streak with Snap Shot hitching a ride, the Gold Rusher and the Sky Slicer.

The other soldier turns to his allies. "Skylanders! Making their escape!" The Doomlanders and trolls rush to take sniping positions while the figure holds another one back. **"Don't. They're moving out of sniper range by the second. Contact our air squadron to chase them down. Let them bring death from above."** he orders.

"Yes, commander!" The Doomlander acknowledges before tuning into one of the comms channel. "All fighters of Squadron 2! Attack the targets at these coordinates! They must not escape! Repeat, they must NOT escape!"

As a squadron of Kaos Cruisers zoom over the crash site, Maddie and I see our chance. The three Superchargers could handle the fighters, while the two of us could handle the commander.

I count down from three and the two of us lunge out of hiding. Maddie kills the surprised Doomlander with an arrow while I raise my sword to strike at the commander.

Suddenly, the figure conjures a black sword out of thin air and grabs it. The second he does, he swings it up to block my strike, resulting in a clash. Maddie holsters her bow and draws her twin poison daggers, circling our enemy like a viper waiting to strike.

 **"** **So… Eon has trained you well, hasn't he?"** the figure taunts from beneath the hood. **"But he has not trained you enough."** He thrusts his hand forward, sending me flying with a blast of dark magic. I slam into a fallen chunk of metal as Maddie lunges at the figure with a battle scream.

The figure dodges her blades flawlessly, not letting a single drop of poison touch him. As he counters with another sword swipe, Maddie cartwheels out of the way and runs up another chunk of a ship. She leaps, ready to strike from the high ground… when the figure holds out a hand, making her freeze in midair.

The figure swiftly thrusts his hand down and Maddie crashes into the dirt. The figure leaps up with his sword drawn, ready to stab my sister through the back. Instinctively, I rush forward to interfere, but Maddie closes her eyes… and dissolves into shadow, with the hooded figure's blade digging into the ground.

Madelyn reconfigures behind him and prepares to attack again, but the figure seems to sense her from behind. His hands glow with dark energy as I catch up to them. The figure throws his hands forward, conjuring the same purple lightning that brought down those ships.

My sister jumps over the lightning and plants her heel right in the figure's face, knocking him off his feet. I take my chance and strike at his head, but he moves away… and I only slice off his hood.

Now fully exposed, the figure rises to his full height… and the two of us stare in disbelief. What we see is a male human with brown hair, with his face completely dotted with purple veins. His eyes glow a dark purple as he gives us a malevolent glare.

 **"** **You believe the bond you share as siblings makes you stronger."** He says, his voice almost alienlike and ominous. **"It only makes you vulnerable."** Madelyn breaks the silence between us. "How did you know we were…" **"A new kind of power."** He interrupts her. **"Abilities that allow Portal Masters to go beyond what they already know. To see through the lies of that fool, Eon. To give ourselves a new purpose… and a new master to bring about a new age of Skylands. An age of a new order. An age… without Skylanders."**

My breath caught in my throat. This is what Master Eon and King Pen had been talking about. Kaos had developed a method to corrupt Portal Masters and make them his servants… against their will.

 **"** **Through the power of Petrified Darkness and an upgraded 'evilizer', as my master calls it, Lord Kaos made me reborn. He showed me the true path of things. A path all Portal Masters will eventually follow… even you."**

Maddie and I didn't know how to take this in. Kaos had been kidnapping Portal Masters and corrupting them with Petrified Darkness crystals, just as he had done with local wildlife (and his poor servant Glumshanks) in the Cloudbreak Isles. Except he had upgraded the machine he had used to accomplish this, so it could affect higher-level beings like Portal Masters. This was truly a terrible act.

"What the…commander!" a voice yells out, grabbing our attention. The Doomlanders and trolls that had been distracted by the Superchargers' escape had returned, now realizing their commander was in danger. They rushed up, pointing their weapons at us. "Arms up!" the lead Doomlander shouted harshly. "Weapons to the ground, Poser Masters!"

Madelyn and I stared at each other, seeing we were outnumbered. I wasn't sure if we would make it out to report back to Master Eon… and I'm sure my sister had the same thoughts.

"I said…" The lead Doomlander barks before the ground is lit up with explosions, sending his comrades flying. "WHA?!"

All of us whirl to see a familiar-looking craft: the same ship that Flynn had piloted when the Trap Team were hunting down escaped Doom Raiders. It was now equipped with miniguns, laser cannons and missile launchers; with the miniguns unleashing their payloads on the unsuspecting enemies below. The "greatest pilot in all Skylands" himself is at the helm, gritting his teeth as he lets the bullets fly. I'm not sure if he's doing it with determination or awesomeness-based excitement.

The corrupted Portal Master seethes with rage. **"Target that ship!"** he roars. **"Bring it down!"** The Doomlanders and trolls open fire as I lead Madelyn to the ship, holstering our weapons. I can hear Flynn laughing hysterically as he mows down three trolls who are sprinting to cover. The ship's new shields is holding as it absorbs laser fire. A stray bolt smacks into the canopy protecting Flynn, but he is only temporarily frightened by it before resuming his barrage of gunfire.

Cali appears at the boarding ramp as Flynn strafes the craft to the left. She gestures with her arm for us to get on, since any voices would be drowned out by the onslaught. Maddie and I hop on just in time.

"WOOOOOOO!" Flynn yells hysterically. "EAT IT, BAD GUYS! EAT! IT!" As he fires a set of missiles that nails some cover Doomlanders are hiding behind, I rush up to him. "Get us out of here, Flynn!"

"WHAT?" he shouts back. "I CAN'T HEAR YOU OVER ALL THIS AWESOMENESS!"

"I said, GET US OUT OF HERE!" I yell again.

"Aww, fine." Flynn sighs as he lets go of the triggers. "Brace yourselv-WHOA!" The craft suddenly shudders. Grabbing a handrail, I peek out from the cockpit and see the corrupted Portal Master with a hand extended. He's looking right at me, eyes burning with hatred. "Hey, that's no fair!" Flynn yells. "I can't move this thing!"

"I'm on it!" Madelyn shouts the ship takes fire. "Cali, drop the ramp!"

"What?! Why?" Cali asks, confuse

"Just do it!" Maddie yells, annoyed.

Cali elbows a button that releases the board ramp and Maddie clambers onto it, bow drawn. I can see the corrupted Portal Master charge up that lightning attack again. Flynn's getting a bit nervous too. "Shield won't take much more, guys!" he announces as the cockpit flashes red.

"Sis, whatever you're gonna do…" I advise her. "DO IT NOW!"

Madelyn fires a dark arrow, which streaks through the air. The corrupted Portal Master notices… but too late. Before he can focus his dark magic on stopping the arrow, it lodges right into his shoulder. He grunts with pain, releasing his telekinetic hold on the craft.

Seeing his chance, Flynn guns the engines and we rocket off full speed as Madelyn dives back inside. He shouts out his signature "BOOM!" as we speed away, lucky to be alive.

…

The dark Portal Master stared at the escaping craft, balling his fists with rage as it slipped away. Angrily, he grabbed the dark arrow embedded in his shoulder and yanked it out, letting it dissolve in his grip.

This was a major setback, one Lord Kaos would be outraged by. The enemy now knew of his methods of abducting Portal Masters and converting them into his own apprentices with enhanced Petrified Darkness crystals. Soon, the old man Eon would also know and would put a plan into action.

He knew his master would be disappointed. But for now… **"Gather the wounded and call for evac."** He ordered his Doomlanders, since the entire troll squad lay dead from that idiot Mabu's reckless barrage of weaponry. **"And inform Lord Kaos of this setback."**

"Y…yes, commander." His lead Doomlander replied nervously, knowing just how well Lord Kaos took to failures. As he began to call for a transport, the dark Portal Master glared at the sky, mentally warning those Portal Master siblings that they would one day submit to Lord Kaos' ways…


	7. Master Plan Revealed

_"_ _Oh… oh dear…"_ Master Eon speaks with sadness. _"This is even greater than my worst fears…"_

"I'm sorry, Master Eon." I reply. "But it's true. Kaos has been capturing some of your Portal Masters and forcing them to serve him… by using Petrified Darkness with an upgraded machine."

"But how?" Hugo asks from the other side of the chamber. "The last time he's done something like this was back in the Cloudbreak Isles."

"Yeah, but that was with citizens and local wildlife." Spyro reminds him. "This… this is something more."

"To have their entire oath forced against them…" Madelyn murmurs. "It's horrible…"

"And creepy…" Flynn adds. "I mean, have you seen that guy's face?! Eugh!"

"We need a plan." Cali steps up. "Our only way to regain the upper hand in this fight is to infiltrate that base and destroy that device."

"But how?" I ask. "A weapon that important must be heavily guarded!"

"Yeah." Spyro realized. "We're gonna need a hundred squads to break in there, maybe a thousand!"

"Well, we've gotta do something." I respond to the dragon. "The longer that thing stays operational, the more Portal Masters are gonna switch sides!"

Suddenly, a nearby monitor flickers with static, turning everyone's attention to it. Before long, the monitor views a sinister room with control panels and some sort of laser. And then, we hear a laugh. And not just any laugh…

"HAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" A small bald figure in a cloak pops into view, having hacked the monitor's systems. He needs no introduction…

"Kaos…" my sister growls.

Okay, maybe some introduction.

"Surprised to see me?" the evil Portal Master quips. "Admit it, you did!"

 _"_ _Kaos!"_ Master Eon booms. _"What unspeakable act have you done to my apprentices?!"_

"Oh, is that what this is about?" Kaos asks smugly. "Well, you see, it's quite simple. When all of this began, you located that planet called Earth and found young humans you deemed worthy to wield the power of the elements. You recruited hundreds of them. But how many did I find? NONE! All of those worthless humans have stood by your side all these years! That is… until this day."

Kaos moves aside, revealing the massive laser in all its evil glory. "Do you remember the Cloudbreak Isles?" he asked each of us with a grin. "Where I harnessed the awesome power of Petrified Darkness to make many pledge their loyalty to me?"

"Against their will." I clarify with a scowl. "You turned citizens and local wildlife into monsters."

"Not monsters, young Poser Master." He taunts me. "Minions! I evilized many of them, along with that foolish servant Glumshanks and, at the very core of Mount Cloudbreak… myself."

The Skylanders did stop you." Madelyn reminds him. "They always have… and they always will."

"Ah, ah, ah." Kaos mocks us, waggling a finger. "But this is where the real fun begins. After that stupid Brain guy defected and imprisoned me in that very same jar he was in for centuries, my plan from Cloudbreak started to come back. I remembered how I was evilized and thought…" He paused for dramatic effect. "What if I could expand on that? So, when this war first exploded into Skylands, you had no choice but to summon your faithful servants and train them." He explains, pointing at Master Eon. "You taught them how to harness the elements and command legions of Skyblunderers as well as their own stupid creations!"

"And so… BEHOLD!" Kaos gestures behind him, where two Doomlander Smashers are dragging in an injured Air Portal Master. As he comes to, the Doomlanders force him to drop to his knees. Troll technicians are manning their stations at control panels.

"M…Master Eon?" the Portal Master wheezes as he turns to the monitor. "QUIET!" one of the Smashers roar, slamming a fist into his chest. Master Eon gasps his apprentice groans in pain.

"Uh… Lord Kaos?" a voice asks from offscreen. "I'm afraid I must remind you that these new Petrified Darkness crystals are _very_ unstable. Maybe you should stick to your Doomlanders for just a little longer?"

"SILENCE, GLUMSHANKS!" Kaos screams, annoyed by the butler's request. "I refuse to let instability get in the way of my ultimate genius! And as I've told you about thirty times, I am WORKING on getting them stable! Now fire up the evilizer!"  
"Y-yes, Lord Kaos!" Glumshanks answers nervously. As we hear the sound of buttons and switches being pulled, I turn to Madelyn and Cali, who seem to have caught onto something. I nod to both of them as the laser onscreen begins to charge up with purple light.

"W-what is this?" the Portal Master yells. "What do you think you're doing, Kaos?!" As the Doomlanders shackle him to a wall with chains on his wrists, Kaos giggles. "What am I doing? I am simply making you better. With this device, you will become more powerful than ever before. You will be invincible! You will feel like you can take on all of Skylands… and that fool, Eon."

"No!" the Portal Master shouts. "I swore an oath to Master Eon! You'll never make me turn against him! You'll never convince me!"

"Convince you? HA!" Kaos laughs at him. "What's the point of that?" By now, the laser has reached its full charge. With a devious grin, Kaos points to a troll technician and shouts a word that sends a chill down my spine.

"FIRE!"

The troll nods and pulls a switch. In that same instant, the lasers blasts out a beam of purple energy that strikes the Portal Master in the chest. As he screams in agony, his eyes and mouth begin to glow with purple light. Master Eon can only watch as his student suffers. _"No…"_

The laser intensifies its blast, covering the screen with a bright light. After a full minute, the screen readjusts to reveal Kaos shielding his face with one arm. He lowers it as the troll technicians pop out from their stations. The Doomlanders march forward, where a dark cloud surrounds where the Portal Master once stood. Their weapons slice through the chains, and we all hear a loud thump.

"Well…" Kaos asks to the dark cloud. "Tell me… how do you feel?"

The cloud remains silent except for heavy breathing. Then it speaks, the sound full of pure evil.

 **"** **I… I feel…"** The deep, malevolent voice causes me and Madelyn to stare at each other with uncertainty, and the rest of us to fill with horror. **"…stronger."**

"Stronger? Good." Kaos remarks. "Anything else?"

 **"** **I… I feel an urge… an urge to… to kill… to destroy… to exterminate all who… who do not follow me…"**

"Uh huh. And what about the Skylanders? What do you think of them?" Now, Kaos' voice is full of pride.

 **"** **The… the Skylanders?"** The dark cloud responds with more heavy breathing. **"They… they are…"**

"Yes? Yes?" Kaos can barely contain his excitement. The cloud drifts away, revealing a figure on his hands and knees, as if weak. Slowly, he lifts his head, revealing eyes that glow a dark purple and purple veins that lay around his eyes, with more beginning to spread across his face.

 **"…** **my enemies."**

Master Eon stares at his former student in sheer horror as Kaos begins his evil laugh. The figure slowly rises to his full height as more figures, their faces covered with hoods, advance into the chamber.

"Yes! YES!" Kaos shouts in triumph. "Now, speak my name!"

The non-hooded figure stares at him before kneeling while delivering his answer. **"Lord Kaos…"**

"HAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Kaos turns to the screen after laughing maniacally. "Do you see now, Eon?! Your chances of winning this are numbered! Numbered, I say! Now, we are even!"

 _"_ _KAOS!"_ Master Eon screams in anger. _"YOU WILL PAY DEARLY FOR THIS! You deserve a fate worse than banishment to the Outlands!"_

"Go ahead and try, old man!" Kaos taunts him as Spyro growls and unfurls his wings. The hooded figures on the screen remove their hoods, revealing more of Kaos' corrupted servants.

"Kaos!" Spyro roars in anger. "When I find you, I will enjoy singing you to a crisp!"

"You want me, dragonfly?" Kaos mocks him before making a beckoning gesture. "Come and get me! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

As he sees us, the Portal Master that was recently corrupted bares his teeth with rage as his hands glow with dark magic. Charging up his dark magic to full power, he unleashes his fury.

 **"** **RRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGHHHHH!"** Purple lightning blasts from his palms and fingertips, striking the camera and making the monitor go into static. Before long, the words "NO SIGNAL" appears in runic letters on the monitor's screen.

The entire group is silent for what seems like hours as Master Eon slumps to his knees with great sadness. Spyro tries to comfort his master, but his presence isn't enough.

Cali's voice eventually breaks the silence. "Hey… earlier, Glumshanks said the Petrified Darkness crystals were unstable. Maybe if we overload them or damage them enough…"

"… the weapon will self-destruct." Madelyn finishes for her. "but we still need some sort of attack plan."

Master Eon stands, turning my attention to him. _"For now, our efforts must remain focused on the front lines."_ He announces without turning around. _"Buzz, Mags, Hugo, Cali, Flynn, and Sharpfin and the rest of the Academy's staff will do whatever they can to look into the monstrous device. When they have a plan figured out, we will put it into action."_

"But, Master Eon…" I ask. "What if those corrupted Portal Masters are out on the field? Are you going to send your own apprentices to deal with them?"

 _"_ _That is all. Meeting adjourned."_ Master Eon finishes, ignoring my question. I want to repeat myself, but I don't want to disrespect him. "Of course, Master." I say as Madelyn and I head out, with her head resting on my shoulder. Spyro follows us with his head hung low while Cali, Hugo and Flynn head toward separate exits.

Skylands has now entered some dark times with a powerful type of enemy on the battlefields. I want to ask myself if they can be truly defeated… or if they really are invincible like Kaos said they are…


End file.
